1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a synthetic modifier for hot asphaltic mixes for road paving and other applications, and to a method of making the synthetic modifier known as JSSM.
2. Description of the Background Art
At the present time, other than the present synthetic modifier, Trinidad Lake Asphalt (TLA) is the only other solid bituminous modifier with inherent mineral matter which is classified as Superpave Grade. Problems associated with TLA are documented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,462. Some of these problems are as follows:                1. Sedimentation;        2. Single source supply;        3. Costly process, requiring specialized equipment;        4. Expensive packaging material, which must be disposed of, thereby presenting potential environmental issues;        5. Topping up of the drums or double handling.        
The synthetic modifier of the present invention is not subject to any of the above-identified problems and possesses many advantages over TLA in performance, method of manufacture, handling transportation and cost of production.